Written Answers Thursday 4 September 2008

Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Ambulance Service plans to increase the staffing establishment at Arrochar station to better meet national targets for (a) category A, (b) category B and (c) urgent calls.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) have advised that they intend to take forward the recruitment of an additional member of staff for the Arrochar station. In addition, this additional crew member will support the elimination of single-rostered crewing in this area.

  The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the SAS continues to provide sage, efficient and effective services to patients across Scotland, including those in remote and rural area. It is also important that patients have confidence in the SAS’s ability to respond to emergencies.

  While this presents particular challenges in remote and rural locations, the service seeks to improve performance for all patients and remains keen to seek local solutions that meet the needs of those communities. In addition, the SAS has appointed a first responder co-ordinator in this area to develop and support first responder schemes.

Ambulance Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why it reduced the national performance targets for the Scottish Ambulance Service for category A calls from 75% for each NHS board area to 75% across Scotland and whether it is concerned that rural areas will experience reduced response times.

Shona Robison: It is important to ensure that performance targets are challenging but deliverable. On that basis, the national performance target for responding to category A calls was revised to be achieved across mainland Scotland by March 2009, rather than within each individual NHS board area.

  We recognise that achievement at a Scotland-wide level will mean that there may be some communities where this target is not routinely being met. That is why the Scottish Government is looking for the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) to demonstrate that across all parts of Scotland it is working to secure continuous improvement, particularly in remote and rural areas.

  The Scottish Government and the SAS are committed to ensuring safe, efficient and effective health services across all parts of Scotland, including remote and rural areas. The SAS will continue to work with local partners to achieve this.

Ambulance Service

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Ambulance Service crews can contact anyone else for advice if they are not sure what decision to make when attending to an adult whose thought processes may be impaired by ill health.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) are currently piloting the presence of senior paramedics in the emergency medical dispatch centres. One of the added value services delivered by these individuals is to provide professional support to frontline staff. SAS crews can also contact other colleagues to seek advice and support should this be required.

Birds

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what conclusions were reached at the seagull summit in Dumfries on 24 June 2008 on the best methods of controlling gulls and whether these conclusions will be published.

Michael Russell: The Gull Summit in Dumfries on 24 June 2008 concluded that the implementation of preventative measures such as gull proofing and nest destruction is the most effective way to reduce the size of urban gull colonies and to limit nesting success. Implementation of such measures had been shown to reduce the number of successful nesting attempts in Dumfries between 2002 and 2008 by 23%.

  A report summarising the main points of discussion raised at the summit has been produced by the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency and a copy has been attached to this response. The Scottish Government announced on 22 August 2008 that it had agreed to participate in a pilot project in conjunction with Dumfries and Galloway Council and that a task force would lead work on the identification of suitable management measures.

  The Scottish Government fully appreciates that urban gull colonies can cause problems for residents and businesses in Scottish towns and together with its agencies is committed to providing information and expert advice to support local management action. The pilot project has the potential to develop a general action plan which could be applied by other local authorities and local communities seeking to manage the effects of urban gull colonies in their area.

Birds

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it provided for the seagull summit in Dumfries on 24 June 2008.

Michael Russell: The Gull Summit held on 24 June 2008 was self-financing, delegates paid an attendance fee which covered the direct costs of the event. The Scottish Government and its agencies did however contribute significantly to the organisation of the event and officials also participated as speakers and facilitators on the day.

Birds

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it intends to provide to local authorities as a result of the seagull summit in Dumfries on 24 June 2008.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government fully appreciates that urban gull colonies can cause problems for residents and businesses in Scottish towns and together with its agencies is committed to providing information and expert advice to support local management action. The pilot project has the potential to develop a general action plan which could be applied by other local authorities and local communities seeking to manage the effects of urban gull colonies in their area.

Birds

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional funding for Dumfries and Galloway Council to assist with the control of gulls and, if so, how much will be provided.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government announced on 22 August 2008 that it would be working with Dumfries and Galloway Council to help develop a joint pilot project. The aim of this project is to identify and implement measures which will reduce the problems caused by breeding colonies of gulls in Dumfries. The Scottish Government and its agencies will support this project both through the participation of its staff and through the provision of information and expert advice.

Dentistry

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS dentists there are and how this compares to the equivalent time in the previous year.

Shona Robison: The number of NHS General Dental Service dentists (headcount) in Scotland for the latest available two years is presented in the following table. The table also provides the percentage change.

  NHS General Dental Service Dentists (Head Count) in Scotland as at 31 March 2007-08

  

 
 March 2007
 March 2008
Percentage Change 2007-08


 All Dentists1
 2,474
 2,576
 4.1%



  Source: MIDAS (Management Information & Dental Accounting System).

  Note: 1. The number of NHS non-salaried and salaried principals, assistants and vocational dental practitioners.

Domestic Abuse

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources are being put in place to roll out the ASSIST victim support services needed to match the extended responsibilities of the Domestic Abuse Court in Glasgow and how similar support services across Scotland will be funded.

Kenny MacAskill: In June 2008, I announced that, alongside the roll-out of the Domestic Abuse Court in Glasgow, the Scottish Government will be extending provision for the ASSIST service to support victims and their children in the 3 police divisions of the city of Glasgow.

  Ministers are currently considering a proposal from ASSIST and I expect a decision to be made shortly.

  The Scottish Government accepted the conclusion of the feasibility study group that to assist the support to victims and their children across Scotland, development work is required to:

  Develop occupational standards for working with victims of domestic abuse;

  Increase the collaboration and opportunity for joint activity between key agencies working with victims of domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women;

  Work with local partners providing services to victims to develop enhanced support provision, and

  Develop an operational manual that could be used to improve support for victims of domestic abuse and enable organisations to develop co-ordination and advocacy work.

  Further details can be found in section 5 of the feasibility study group report.

  This work will be taken forward over the next three years.

Elections

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government about the conduct of future elections in Scotland.

Bruce Crawford: Ministers and officials have discussed the Gould Report with our UK counterparts on a number of occasions. The Parliament welcomed Ron Gould’s report, including the recommendation calling for the further devolution of executive and legislative powers to the Scottish Government and the Parliament for the administration of its own elections and the decoupling of future elections to the Parliament and Scotland’s councils. We are very disappointed that the UK Government has not accepted this. We will continue to press them to change their position and allow the Parliament to take responsibility for its own elections.

Fatal Accident Inquiries

Keith Brown (Ochil) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on allowing fatal accident inquiries to be held in Scotland for Scottish armed services personnel who are killed in accidents abroad.

Kenny MacAskill: I am meeting the Lord Advocate to discuss this issue on 4 September 2008.

  Our aim is to find a solution which allows inquiries into the deaths of Scottish-based service personnel who are killed abroad to be held in Scotland.

  At present, for operational reasons, bodies are returned to RAF airfields in the south of England by the Ministry of Defence. They then automatically become subject to the system of coroners’ inquests in England. Coroners’ inquests into the deaths of Scottish-based personnel killed abroad cannot currently take place in Scotland, and fatal accident inquiries can only investigate deaths occurring in Scotland.

  These are difficult legal and policy issues. The Lord Advocate and I will work constructively with the UK Government to resolve them. All of us must remember that the objective is to reduce the stress and anguish for bereaved families in Scotland.

  Because of the defence reservation in the Scotland Act, changes in the law would be required on both sides of the border.

Flooding

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met local authorities to discuss flooding.

Richard Lochhead: The most recent meeting of the Flooding Bill Advisory Group on which COSLA and local authorities are represented was on 21 August 2008. In addition, I have visited a number of local authorities in recent months and discussed flooding amongst other issues.

Housing

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what total investment from public funds there has been in housing refurbishment and in building new rented and affordable housing in (a) Clydebank, (b) Milngavie and (c) each parliamentary constituency in Glasgow, since 2003.

Stewart Maxwell: The total investment (actual spend) from the Affordable Housing Investment Programme for the Clydebank and Milngavie areas since 2003 is detailed in the following table. Information is not held at parliamentary constituency level for Glasgow, however I have provided details of the total investment in Glasgow for the same time period. I have also provided details of the investment to Glasgow Housing Association, however it should be noted that this includes revenue grants.

  This information provided includes all relevant elements of the AHIP including Housing Association Grant, Rural Home Ownership Grant, Rural Empty Property Grants, Grant for the Physical and Social Environment and Special Needs Capital Grants.

  

 
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 (Million)


 Milngavie
£0.053 
£0.045 
£0.000 
£0.169 
£1.679 


 Clydebank
£4.268 
£3.882 
£0.646 
£0.129 
£1.216 


 Glasgow City Council
£73.973 
£66.700 
£76.840 
£82.999 
£83.000 


 Glasgow Housing Association
£34.727 
£49.346 
£52.020 
£57.522 
£63.297

International Development

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which agencies it uses to deliver its international development programme, broken down by country and excluding Malawi.

Linda Fabiani: Our international development programmes are delivered through organisations with a presence in Scotland who can bid for funds from the International Development Fund.

  Funding decisions beyond Malawi have not yet been made.

  The funding process for the Sub-Saharan Africa Development has begun and decisions will be made towards the end of the year. The Indian Subcontinent programme is currently under development.

Justice

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to reduce reoffending rates.

Kenny MacAskill: We are delivering a more effective penal policy, with accelerated justice for offenders and a better targeted and more robust range of sentences for the courts. We are also addressing the underlying causes of offending through our early intervention strategy, including support for young parents, more constructive activities for young people and tackling the "three D’s" of drink, drugs and deprivation.

Justice

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice last met the Glasgow Bar Association.

Kenny MacAskill: I last met with representatives of the Glasgow Bar Association on 5 May 2008.

Local Government

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of local authority expenditure was spent on (a) former employee and (b) existing employee pension contributions in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by local authority.

John Swinney: The information is contained in the following table. The column headed Basic Employer gives the percentage of total local authority expenditure relating to employers’ contributions for existing members. The column headed Additional Employer gives the percentage of local authority expenditure in cases where a member has been given early retirement and as a consequence councils have paid a strain cost to the relevant Local Government Pension Fund.

  Employer Contributions as a % of Local Authority Gross Expenditure 1,2,3,4

  

 
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 
Basic Employer
Additional Employer
Basic Employer
Additional Employer
Basic Employer
Additional Employer
Basic Employer
Additional Employer


 Aberdeen City
 3.05%
 0.04%
 3.15%
 0.07%
 3.14%
 0.14%
 3.21%
 0.24%


 Aberdeenshire
 2.78%
 0.04%
 2.96%
 0.05%
 2.93%
 0.04%
 3.14%
 0.08%


 Angus
 3.16%
 0.03%
 3.30%
 0.00%
 3.37%
 0.02%
 3.68%
 0.30%


 Argyll and Bute
 2.42%
 0.13%
 2.56%
 0.10%
 2.52%
 0.04%
 2.72%
 0.09%


 Clackmannanshire
 2.21%
 0.01%
 2.44%
 0.15%
 2.68%
 0.15%
 3.18%
 0.21%


 Dumfries and Galloway
 2.83%
 0.03%
 2.93%
 0.12%
 3.17%
 0.13%
 3.26%
 0.48%


 Dundee City
 4.54%
 0.05%
 4.87%
 0.01%
 4.72%
 0.40%
 5.06%
 0.08%


 East Ayrshire
 2.62%
 0.14%
 3.16%
 0.25%
 3.24%
 0.21%
 3.11%
 0.08%


 East Dunbartonshire
 2.55%
 0.12%
 2.79%
 0.21%
 2.83%
 0.20%
 2.93%
 0.60%


 East Lothian
 3.20%
 0.14%
 3.23%
 0.11%
 3.46%
 0.08%
 3.60%
 0.05%


 East Renfrewshire
 2.56%
 0.04%
 2.74%
 0.08%
 2.89%
 0.11%
 2.93%
 0.41%


 Edinburgh, City of
 3.00%
 0.09%
 3.23%
 0.08%
 3.29%
 0.07%
 3.34%
 0.07%


 Eilean Siar
 2.48%
 0.08%
 2.67%
 0.00%
 2.87%
 0.12%
 3.25%
 0.07%


 Falkirk
 2.08%
 0.02%
 2.33%
 0.14%
 2.54%
 0.08%
 2.92%
 0.12%


 Fife
 2.99%
 0.16%
 3.41%
 0.16%
 3.64%
 0.12%
 3.82%
 0.25%


 Glasgow City
 2.07%
 0.25%
 2.06%
 0.07%
 2.16%
 0.10%
 2.28%
 0.23%


 Highland
 2.32%
 0.10%
 2.49%
 0.09%
 2.59%
 0.07%
 2.86%
 0.06%


 Inverclyde
 2.20%
 0.19%
 2.25%
 0.40%
 2.37%
 0.18%
 2.71%
 0.20%


 Midlothian
 2.94%
 0.00%
 3.22%
 0.01%
 3.46%
 0.02%
 3.43%
 0.10%


 Moray
 2.89%
 0.02%
 2.98%
 0.02%
 3.14%
 0.03%
 3.31%
 0.02%


 North Ayrshire
 2.49%
 0.01%
 2.72%
 0.07%
 2.69%
 0.05%
 2.94%
 0.10%


 North Lanarkshire
 2.58%
 0.06%
 2.72%
 0.01%
 2.66%
 0.04%
 2.83%
 0.03%


 Orkney Islands
 4.00%
 0.00%
 4.30%
 0.00%
 4.96%
 0.02%
 4.98%
 0.00%


 Perth and Kinross
 2.73%
 0.25%
 2.98%
 0.13%
 2.98%
 0.25%
 3.24%
 0.31%


 Renfrewshire
 2.77%
 0.08%
 2.88%
 0.14%
 2.89%
 0.08%
 3.08%
 0.26%


 Scottish Borders
 2.86%
 0.07%
 3.08%
 0.44%
 3.26%
 0.13%
 3.47%
 0.06%


 Shetland Islands
 5.14%
 0.14%
 4.72%
 0.15%
 5.25%
 0.48%
 4.81%
 0.31%


 South Ayrshire
 2.77%
 0.02%
 2.92%
 0.09%
 2.89%
 0.28%
 2.86%
 0.21%


 South Lanarkshire
 2.80%
 0.19%
 3.03%
 0.19%
 3.08%
 0.24%
 3.29%
 0.42%


 Stirling
 2.10%
 0.16%
 2.40%
 0.14%
 2.63%
 0.12%
 2.96%
 0.40%


 West Dunbartonshire
 2.65%
 0.13%
 2.88%
 0.15%
 3.06%
 0.26%
 3.19%
 0.36%


 West Lothian
 3.23%
 0.00%
 3.45%
 0.02%
 3.66%
 0.05%
 4.12%
 0.01%



  Source: Local Financial Returns and local authority pension authorities

  Note on pensions data:

  1. Additional employer costs - This "strain cost" is calculated by the fund actuary to take account of the fact that a benefit is being paid out of the fund earlier (and therefore for longer) than would otherwise have been the case.

  Notes on basis of LA gross expenditure used to calculate %:

  2. Police and fire and council tax and non-domestic valuation expenditure is apportioned to councils using the amount that the Police, Fire and Valuation Joint Boards requisition from them.

  3. For 2006-07 only, Regional Transport Partnerships expenditure is apportioned to councils by population (GRO 2006 mid year estimates)

  General note:

  4. The table contains all readily available data for the last five years. Returns for 2007-08 are collected in September 2008 and completed in November 2008.

Parliamentary Questions

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S3W-15009 which received a holding answer on 11 August 2008.

Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15009 on 3 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Parliamentary Questions

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S3W-15063 which received a holding answer on 14 August 2008.

Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15063 on 3 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Parliamentary Questions

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S3W-15064 which received a holding answer on 14 August 2008.

Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15064 on 3 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Parliamentary Questions

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S3W-15065 which received a holding answer on 14 August 2008.

Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15065 on 3 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Parliamentary Questions

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S3W-15066 which received a holding answer on 14 August 2008.

Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15066 on 3 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Parliamentary Questions

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S3W-15067 which received a holding answer on 14 August 2008.

Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15067 on 3 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Parliamentary Questions

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S3W-15068 which received a holding answer on 14 August 2008.

Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15068 on 3 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Recycling

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what tonnage of waste collected for recycling by local authorities has been diverted to landfill since May 2007.

Richard Lochhead: That information is not yet available, but the previous year it was around 5,000 tonnes

Schools

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new schools have been commissioned for (a) primary and (b) secondary for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Fiona Hyslop: Local authorities are responsible for commissioning new school buildings, not the Scottish Government. It is authorities who decide on the detail of investment in individual schools from the £3 billion in capital allocated to them over the period of this spending review. As indicated in Infrastructure Investment Plan 2008 , published in March 2008, we anticipate that the rebuilding or refurbishment of around 250 schools will be delivered or secured and financed during the current four-year parliamentary period.

  Seven school projects comprising 45 schools have reached financial close since May 2007. A further four are in the pipeline. Combined these projects have a capital value of £1 billion, financially supported by decisions of the Scottish Government.

Scottish Government

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in taking forward the policy priorities of the 2008-09 Scottish budget.

John Swinney: The First Minister’s statement on 3 September 2008 reminded the Parliament of the very real progress we have made on our government programme for 2008-09.

  And, as I am sure the Parliament is aware, progress towards our purpose, strategic objectives and national outcomes, to which resources are aligned, can be viewed at any time on the Scotland Performs website.

Vaccinations

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether nursing staff other than school nurses will participate in the implementation of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programme from September 2008 as part of the community health nurse pilot scheme in NHS Tayside.

Shona Robison: Within NHS Tayside, school nurses will lead the implementation of the HPV vaccination programme supported by the other nursing staff. The other nursing staff will consist of both community staff nurses and public health staff nurses. All nurses will undergo a training programme if required.